This invention relates to a support assembly and grill for a radiator. In particular, it pertains to a radiator support assembly and grill adapted for use on construction equipment, particularly construction vehicles. It is envisioned that engine coolant and engine lubricant radiators may be positioned within the same support assembly and grill.
In all pistoned internal combustion engines of any magnitude, it is usually necessary to provide for cooling of at least one fluid utilized in the engine. In particular, a liquid cooled engine must also include some form of a heat exchanger to allow dissipation of accumulated engine heat to the ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, internal combustion engines of any magnitude generally require either a vast quantity of lubricant contained in a large lubricant reservoir, or a more workable quantity of lubricant coupled with a smaller reservoir and a lubricant cooler, commonly referred to as an oil cooler.
The environment that construction equipment is operated in is generally detrimental to the relatively fragile construction of heat exchangers, which are usually made in the form of a finned radiator. Such heat exchangers generally are the most efficient and, therefore, are utilized extensively in such equipments. Accordingly, it is necessary to first support the heat exchange relative the vehicle and, secondly, to provide sufficient protection to the heat exchanger so that the relatively vulnerable portions are not pierced or damaged by foreign objects.
Mounting a heat exchanger or a radiator of the type envisioned in this invention requires a special degree of care in that the radiator is generally comprised of a plurality of parallel-arranged passages through which the fluid to be cooled is passed. Each passage may be interconnected to the next adjacent passage by thin metal sheets or fins generally perpendicular to the axis of the passages. The thin metal sheets, as is well known in the art, conduct heat from the passages for radiation of the ambient air. Generally a fluid such as air is passed over the fins or thin metal sheets to carry away radiated heat. The very nature of this structure, coupled with the fact that a relatively soft metal such as bronze or brass is utilized for the radiator, dictates, in part, the special mounting method.
Flexure of the vehicle frame and vibrations in the frame which occur during operation, when communicated to the rather soft structure of a radiator, may result in fatigue and early failure of the radiator. Resulting rapid loss of either the cooling fluid or the lubricant from the failed radiator can cause engine failure and thus, additional expense to the operator of the vehicle. Accordingly, the radiator structure must be isolated or at least insulated from undue stresses, strains, and vibrations imparted thereto from the vehicle frame. Although the vehicle frame can be made practically rigid, a certain amount of movement between frame members due to bending and the like is almost inevitable. Vibrations in the frame may be lessened by springing and the like, but not eliminated. Accordingly, it is common practice to resiliently mount the radiator relative the frame and couple the radiator to the fluid to be cooled through flexible conduits, such as rubber tubing or the like.
The nature of the metal utilized to construct a radiator is such that protection is usually advisable and, in the construction equipment environment, usually necessary. In the heavy construction vehicle, it has been appropriate to utilize a rather massive structure to encompass the radiator. In certain instances, the grillwork was incorporated into such a structure. In most cases, it was necessary to utilize rather heavy lifting equipment to remove the protective support structure that surrounded the radiator. Thus, routine maintenance on the radiator, such as replacement of interconnecting hoses or replacement of the radiator itself, necessitated rather massive equipment to remove the supporting structure. Therefore, a failure in the cooling system in the field was a major maintenance problem requiring extensive support equipment.